Networked pest control system

ABSTRACT

A pest control device system includes a plurality of pest control devices and a data collector. The system may further include the data collector in the form of a gateway that is connected to a data management server via a computer network along with other gateways in corresponding pest control device groups. Each pest control device includes a pest sensor and a wireless communication circuit to transmit information from the corresponding sensor. The devices also configure to define a local wireless communication network that can relay the information from one to the next and ultimately to the data collector.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/191,461 filed on 9 Sep. 2008, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety, and is a continuation of andclaims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/584,581 filed 8Sep. 2009 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,026,822, the contents of which areincorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to pest control, and more particularly,but not exclusively, relates to techniques for sensing, communicating,storing, and evaluating data from networked pest control devices.

The detection and removal of pests from areas occupied by humans,livestock, crops, and other pest-attracting areas has long been achallenge. Pests of frequent concern include various types of insectsand rodents. Subterranean termites are a particularly troublesome typeof pest with the potential to cause severe damage to wooden structures.Likewise, other insects, such as bedbugs, are problematic. Additionally,rodent control is often challenging. Various schemes have been proposedto eliminate these and certain other harmful pests.

Recently, advances have been made to provide for the targeted deliveryof pesticide chemicals only after pests have been detected. One exampleis the SENTRICON TERMITE COLONY ELIMINATION SYSTEM™ of Dow AgroSciencesthat has a business address of 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, Ind.In this system, a number of stations are installed in the ground about adwelling to be protected. A pest control service provider periodicallychecks the stations, which can be labor-intensive.

Similarly, rodent traps in food processing/storage facilities,pharmaceutical production facilities, and the like need to be routinelychecked—resulting in significant labor expenditures. Accordingly, thereis a demand for alternative pest control device monitoring techniques.Alternatively or additionally, the ability to gather more comprehensivedata relating to pest behavior is sought. Thus, there is a continuingdemand for further advancement in the area of pest control and relatedsensing technologies.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present invention includes a unique pest controland/or monitoring technique. Other embodiments include unique methods,devices, and systems to control pests and/or monitor pest activity.Further embodiments, forms, objects, features, advantages, aspects, andbenefits shall become apparent from the following description anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a pest control system that includesseveral pest control devices.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a pest control device that can beincluded in the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one form of a rodent control device thatcan be included in the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting one procedure for installing the pestcontrol devices of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a gateway of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view further depicting the data managementserver of the system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated inthe drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. Itwill nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of theinvention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modificationsin the described embodiments, and any further applications of theprinciples of the invention as described herein are contemplated aswould normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates.

One embodiment of the present application is a system that includes adata collection point and several spaced-apart pest control devices. Thepest control devices each include a sensor and wireless communicationcircuitry. At least some of the pest control devices are structured torelay information received from one or more other of the pest controldevices to the data collection point. In one form, the data collectionpoint is in communication with a remotely located data management servervia a computer network. Alternatively or additionally, the datacollection point can be a form of gateway structured to collectinformation from each control device and communicate it to a remotedestination.

FIG. 1 depicts pest control system 20 of the present application. System20 includes a pest control monitoring arrangement 22 that communicateswith a central pest data management server 120 by computer network 24.Computer network 24 is more specifically depicted in two nonlimitingforms as a wireless Wide Area Network (WAN) 25 and internet 26 inFIG. 1. A number of clients 122 of server 120 are also depicted that canselectively access server 120 through internet 26. Client 122 includesbrowser subsystem 122 a, spreadsheet interface 122 b, email interface122 c, Short Message Service (SMS) interface 122 d, and other interfacesubsystems 122 e. It should be appreciated that while wireless WAN 25and internet 26 are specifically depicted, other types of datacommunication networks can be utilized additionally or alternatively.

Pest control monitoring arrangement 22 includes a number of pest controldevice groups 30 that each may be installed at a different location tomonitor/control one or more types of pests of interest. Each pestcontrol device group 30 includes a pest control data collector 32 in acommunication gateway 33, and several pest control devices 40. Gateway33 interfaces with server 120 via computer network 24 and interfaceswith pest control devices 40 via wireless Local Area Network (LAN) 36.Devices 40 each include a communication node 42 that collectively definenetwork 36. Each device 40 includes bait 44 in the form of apest-consumable material, lure, attractant, or the like; however, inother embodiments, an attractant, lure or other form of bait may beabsent. The depicted embodiment of device 40 further includes pestsensor 46.

For a given pest control device group 30, pest control devices 40 may bearranged to monitor/protect a designated building, room, storage area,or region from a pest of concern, such as rodents, termites, bedbugs,other troublesome insects, and various pests attracted to stored grain,animal feed, pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical components, other biologicmaterials, or the like. Accordingly, bait 44 and sensor 46 are selectedrelative to the pest type(s) of interest. Nonlimiting examples ofvarious sensor and bait types for pest control devices are described incommonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,348,890; 7,262,702; 7,212,129;7,212,112; 6,914,529; and 6,724,312, each of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety. These patents also describethe manner in which different areas are monitored by devices employingsuch sensors, among other things.

FIG. 2 shows pest control device 40 in greater detail; where likereference numerals refer to like features previously described. Pestcontrol device 40 includes electrical circuitry 43. Circuitry 43includes wireless communication circuitry 50 that defines wirelesscommunication node 42. Specifically, circuitry 50 includes RFtransceiver 52 that in turn includes transmitter (TXR) 54 and receiver(RXR) 56. Circuit 50 further includes communication antenna 58. Itshould be appreciated that at least a portion of transmitter 54 andreceiver 56 can be provided in the same integral unit. For example,commonly shared aspects would include antenna 58 and/or RF front-endcircuitry; however, in other arrangements transceiver 52 is defined byindependent transmitter 54 and receiver 56 units that collectivelyprovide both transmission and reception functionality.

Node 42 further includes power management circuitry 60 and controller70. Circuitry 60 includes electrical power source 62 in the form of oneor more electrochemical cells or battery 64. Circuitry 60 conditions andprovides electrical power to node 42 and sensor 46 as needed.

Controller 70 includes memory 72. Controller 70 can be an electroniccircuit comprised of one or more components, including digitalcircuitry, analog circuitry, or both. Controller 70 may be a softwareand/or firmware programmable type; a hardwired, dedicated state machine;or a combination of these. In one embodiment, controller 70 is aprogrammable microcontroller solid-state integrated circuit thatintegrally includes a processing unit and memory 72. Nonlimitingexamples include model nos. MSP430F147 and MSP430F149 provided by TexasInstruments Incorporated. Memory 72 can be comprised of one or morecomponents and can be of any volatile or nonvolatile type, including thesolid state variety, the optical media variety, the magnetic variety, acombination of these, or such different arrangement as would occur tothose skilled in the art. Further, more than one processing unit can beincluded. When multiple processing units are present, controller 70 canbe arranged to distribute processing among such units, and/or to providefor parallel or pipelined processing if desired. Controller 70 functionsin accordance with operating logic defined by software and/or firmwareprogramming, hardware, or a combination of these. In one form, memory 72stores program instructions that are executed by one or more processingunits of controller 70 to embody at least a portion of this operatinglogic. Alternatively or additionally, memory 72 stores data that ismanipulated by the operating logic of controller 70. Controller 70 caninclude signal conditioners, signal format converters (such asanalog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters), limiters, clamps,filters, dedicated timers, and the like as needed to perform variousoperations described in the present application. Indeed, in one form,controller 70, wireless communication circuitry 50 and power managementcircuitry 60 are at least partially defined by the same integratedcircuit device.

Pest sensor 46 is electrically coupled to controller 70 to provide acorresponding signal indicative of pest presence and/or activity. In oneform, sensor 46 provides an electrical input to an analog-to-digitalconverter (ADC) included in controller 70. Pest sensor 46 is associatedwith bait 44 that may be of a food or other material commonly consumedby pests of interest and/or a lure, attractant, or the like. It shouldbe appreciated that as used herein, bait 44 may or may not include apesticide and may or may not be intended to be more attractive to pestsof interest compared to other materials in proximity. In onearrangement, pest interaction with bait 44 triggers a change in thesignal sent by sensor 46. Typically, detection is triggered by avariation in electrical current or voltage. In one form, such variationresults from a change in electrical conductivity/resistance of one ormore elements of sensor 46 in correspondence to pest presence.Alternatively or additionally, a detection signal could be generatedbased on electrical capacitance, magnetism, an acoustic characteristic,or optical change—just to name a few alternatives. Commonly owned U.S.Pat. Nos. 7,348,890; 7,262,702; 7,212,129; 7,212,112; 6,914,529; and6,724,312, describe several such sensing techniques (which werepreviously each incorporated by reference). It should be appreciatedthat while one pest sensor 46 is indicated in FIG. 2, in otherarrangements multiple pest sensors may be utilized with inputs providedto controller 70 and/or a different device. Furthermore, in otheralternative arrangements, bait 44 may be absent.

In one implementation, pest control devices 40 are configured to operatewith a standard battery power source for at least two years,communicating only a relative small amount of data routinely (such as anaverage of six times per day), with a transmission distance minimum ofabout 10 meters under very poor conditions and greater than 100 metersunder favorable conditions. Nonetheless, in other arrangements any orall of these aspects could vary. In typical termite applications, pestcontrol device 40 takes the form of an in-ground station with anelectrically conductive pathway that is altered by termite consumptionor displacement to trigger detection. With this arrangement, pesticidemay not be delivered until termite presence is verified, althoughimmediate pesticide application and/or above-ground monitoring may beutilized additionally or alternatively. Some rodent applications tend tofavor extermination upon detection using a pesticide, mechanical force,and/or electrocution.

In one example, FIG. 3 a form of pest control device that integratessensor 46 with snap-type of rodent trap 90; where like referencenumerals refer to like features previously described. In thisarrangement, sensor 46 more specifically includes a flexible detectionmember 46 a with an electrical resistance that varies depending on thedegree of its mechanical deflection/flexure. Trap 90 includes a basehousing 92 that is pivotally coupled to spring 94. Spring 94 is held inplace by trap pin 95 as shown in FIG. 3. In this configuration, if arodent applies sufficient downward pressure on bait plate 44 a, pin 95is displaced and spring 94 is released to pen the rodent between thespring 94 and base housing 92. Correspondingly, the deflection of member46 a changes in response to the displacement of pin 95, causing a changein its electrical resistance. Member 46 a is electrically coupled tocircuitry 43 to provide a corresponding signal indicative of thetriggering of the trap and rodent detection. Circuitry 43 resides inchamber 96 defined by base housing 92. Alternatively or additionally,rodent and/or other pest control devices may include apressure-sensitive pad to detect presence. Further, it should beappreciated that while pest presence is typically the detection goal,any activity/actuation of sensor 46 may be of interest for a given pestcontrol scheme.

Returning to FIG. 2, circuitry 43 further includes temperature sensor 74coupled to controller 70, which, without limitation could be athermistor, a thermocouple, or the like that provides an analog input toan ADC unit within controller 70. In other embodiments, a moisturesensor may be included in addition to or in lieu of temperature sensor74. In still other embodiments neither of these sensor types is present.Also included in circuitry 43 is an operator-activated switch 76 of amagnetic form comprised of a magnetically-responsive component 77 (suchas a hall-effect device or magnetoresistor to name a couple ofnonlimiting examples) and an indicator 80, both of which are alsocoupled to controller 70. Switch 76 is arranged to respond to a magneticfield when magnetic field source 78 is in close proximity thereto. Inone form, magnetic field source 78 is provided in the form of ahand-held wand 79. Indicator 80 includes two Light Emitting Diodes(LEDs) 82 and 84 each of a different color. In one particularnonlimiting example, one of LEDs 82 and 84 is red, while the other ofLEDs 82 and 84 is green. The operation of these features is furtherdescribed hereinafter in connection with FIG. 4; however, furtheraspects to gateway 33 are first described in connection with FIG. 5. Inother embodiments, switch 76 may be of a mechanical variety, such as apushbutton, rotary, slider, or toggle type; a capacitive proximity type,an optic type, or a thermally activated type—just to name a fewpossibilities. In one nonlimiting alternative, rodent trap activationwas demonstrated with a pushbutton form of switch.

Referring to FIG. 5, gateway 33 is further depicted; where likereference numerals refer to like features previously described. Gateway33 includes controller 70 with memory 72. Gateway 33 further includes awireless network interface 250 with antenna 258 to communicate with thewireless communication network 36, as defined by a corresponding pestcontrol group 30; and modem 260 with antenna 268 to interface with awireless WAN network 25. In one nonlimiting form, controller 70 is ageneral purpose laptop or personal computer running an application todefine a communication gateway, interface 250 is of a local area network(LAN) type, and modem 260 utilizes General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)through the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) protocol. Itshould be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, controller 70,interface 250, and/or modem 260 may differ. In one such alternative inwhich gateway 23 directly interfaces with internet 26, controller 70 isof a microcontroller type, such as model no. C805F120 provided by CygnalTechnologies; interface 250 is a 25 milliWatt (mW) WAVENIS-compatiblewavecard provided by Coronis Systems; and modem 260 is of a hardwireddial-up and/or coaxial cable type (not shown).

Having generally described the structural and functional aspects ofgroup 30, further details regarding its operation are next described.Initially, pest control devices 40 of a respective group 30 areinstalled to protect the building/area of interest, which includesphysically positioning each of pest control devices 40 and establishingwireless network 36. FIG. 4 depicts one mode of establishing network 36in flowchart form as network installation procedure 220; where likereference numerals refer to like features previously described.Procedure 220 can be implemented in accordance with operating logicexecuted by controller 70 of at least some of the pest control devices40 and gateway 33 for the respective group 30. Procedure 220 logicallyassociates each node 42 with a corresponding gateway 33. Duringprocedure 220, each node 42 attempts to establish a reliablecommunications path to the respective gateway 33, either directly or byrelaying its messages through one or more other nodes 42 of the samegroup 30, and provides the installer feedback concerning its success orfailure in finding a reliable communications path. Specifically, inoperation 222, a selected node 42 is activated. For themagnetically-responsive component 77 form of switch 76, a magnetic fieldfrom source 78 is placed in close proximity. In response, switch 76changes state and triggers network establishment for such selected node42. In an alternative implementation, an operator triggers node networkinstallation activation by applying force to a mechanical form of switch76, such as pushing a momentary, pushbutton switch type.

In response to node activation in operation 222, procedure 220 continueswith operation 224. In operation 224, the selected node 42 executes asearch routine to identify a reliable communication path to itscorresponding gateway 33. This routine is typically defined by operatinglogic executed by controller 70 of the selected node. In oneimplementation, this routine is at least partially provided in the formof firmware instructions stored in memory 72 and uses a SEARCH REQUESTfunction included in the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) code library.This function can operate with a variety of criteria for the requestedsearch, including a Class of Device (COD) code identifying the specificgateway 33 to which connection is desired, quality of service (QoS)criteria based on signal strength or the like, and criteria controllingthe preferred method of making the connection, either directly togateway 33 or through one or more other nodes 42 of its pest controldevice group 30. As establishment of a communication pathway isattempted, indicator 80 provides an output reflecting this status. Inone form, this output includes LEDs 82 and 84 both blinking atapproximately a 10 Hertz (Hz) rate; however, other outputs and/or nooutput may be provided in correspondence to operation 224 in otherembodiments.

Operation 224 first attempts to find a direct communications path withthe corresponding gateway 33 provided it meets specified quality ofservice (QoS) criteria—such as signal strength. If a direct path meetingthe search criteria is not found, then operation 224 attempts to find acommunications path to gateway 33 through other nearby nodes 42 thathave already gone through the network installation procedure 220 (ifany). The criteria for these “indirect” communication paths can bedifferent than those for direct connections, and take into account, inaddition to signal strength, how many “hops” are required and/or howmany other devices might already be routed through a given node 42operating as a repeater. In some implementations, a limit may be set onthe number of communication hops required to reach the correspondinggateway 33, a limit may be set on the number of relaying/repeating nodes42 involved in a given communication pathway, and/or a limit may be seton how may nodes 42 depend on a specific node 42 to relay communication.

Procedure 220 continues with conditional 226 that tests whether thedesired communication path has been established. If the test ofconditional 226 is affirmative (yes), data designating the communicationpath is stored and a success code is returned—reflecting that a director indirect path meeting the search criteria has been found. Further,using the identified communication path, the selected node 42communicates a unique identifier (such as a unique multibitidentification code) to its corresponding gateway 33 of the same group30. Procedure 220 continues with operation 240 to provide an outputindicating success with indicator 80. In one form, this output includesilluminating one of LEDs 82 or 84, such as a green LED, for a specifiedperiod of time (such as 10 seconds, for example). From operation 240,procedure 220 continues with conditional 242 to determine if there areany more nodes 42 to install. If not, then procedure 220 halts. If thereare further nodes to install, procedure 220 returns to operation 222 toselect and activate the next node 42 for network installation.

On the other hand, if all attempts to find a communications path meetingthe criteria are not successful, operation 224 returns a failure code,and the test of conditional 226 is negative (no). From the negativebranch of conditional 226, operation 228 is performed in which indicator80 provides an operator output reflecting this negative/failure status.In one form, this output includes illuminating one of LEDs 82 or 84different than for operation 240, such as a red LED, for a specifiedperiod of time (such as 10 seconds, for example).

Procedure 220 proceeds from operation 228 to operation 230. In operation230, the operator installs one or more other nodes 42 to serve asrepeaters and/or repositions the selected node 42 to provide betterconditions for network establishment. It should be appreciated that thesuccessful installation of any other node 42 during operation 230includes the repetition of operations 222, 224, and 240 and conditionals226 and 242 for each, and likewise, any that were not successful wouldresult in execution of operations/conditional 222-230. After operation230, conditional 232 is reached. Conditional 232 tests whether the node42 that failed initialization should be reactivated for another attempt.Ordinarily, this test would be affirmative (yes), causing procedure 220to return to operation 222 to reactivate it; however, under certaincircumstances it may be determined to abort installation of a given node42. Such circumstances may include several failed attempts to install orthe successful installation of the desired number and/or arrangement ofnodes 42 already, such that the failed node 42 need not be installed. Inthis case, the test of conditional 232 is negative (no) and procedure220 halts.

Once network 36 is established, each pest control device 40 and gateway32 perform certain operations on a routine basis. In one embodiment,each node 42 participating in network 36 has a low-power consumptionsleep mode and at least one “awake” mode. For one form, the sleep modeis performed based on an internal sleep timer provided by controller 70,that allows the node 42 to significantly reduce its power consumptionduring idle periods and accordingly enables longer service life. Forsuch a sleep mode, the transceiver 52 and/or other peripherals aretypically turned off to conserve power.

After a designated time period has passed during sleep mode, a wake-upis triggered. In one form, a sleep timer is programmed to wake-upcontroller 70 every 100 milliseconds (10 times per second), and theoperating logic, as defined at least in part by controller firmware, isdivided into time-based tasks, some of which are executed every wakeupperiod (100 milliseconds) and others that are executed every tenthwakeup (1 second).

For this arrangement, the 100 millisecond tasks include sensor signalmeasurements and evaluation of such signals for possible action. In oneparticular variation, node 42 includes an internal, multi-channel 12-bitA/D converter for measuring analog signals from external sources overthree different channels. One channel is used for pest sensor 46 input,a second channel is used for temperature sensor 74 input, and a thirdchannel is connected to battery 64 to report on its status. Theresulting digital values are stored in memory 72 and are comparedagainst designated limits for LOW FAULT, LOW ALARM, LOW WARNING, HIGHWARNING, HIGH ALARM, and HIGH FAULT conditions. If any FAULT, WARNING,or ALARM condition is detected, an event message is provided fortransmission to gateway 33 indicating the affected channel/source,condition (FAULT, WARNING, or ALARM), and the measured value. Any or allof these condition tests may be optionally disabled. Hysterisis can beapplied to the condition tests to prevent multiple event messages frombeing prepared and transmitted during the pendency of the condition.Further, pest sensor 46 input may be processed as needed to reduce thelikelihood of an undesired outcome due to noise, activity of anontargeted pest in the vicinity of the sensor, or slow, gradual changeswith temperature. These type of adjustments may be particularlydesirable for a flexible resistance-type sensor like that is associatedwith trap 90.

In one implementation directed specifically to a flex-varying electricalresistance rodent sensor as provided with trap 90, the rodent sensorsignal value is exponentially smoothed using smoothing constants of 1/32and 31/32 in accordance with equation (1) as follows:NewSmoothedValue=((1/32)*NewSample)+((31/32)*OldSmoothedValue)  (1)The operating logic computes the absolute value of the difference of theNewSample and OldSmoothedValue according to equation (2) as follows:DIFF=ABS(NewSample−OldSmoothedValue)  (2)DIFF is then compared against a programmable threshold value. If DIFFexceeds the threshold value, the sensor is determined to be “active” anda “hit” is registered by incrementing the value of a HIT COUNTERmaintained by the operating logic. If DIFF does not exceed the thresholdvalue, the HIT COUNTER is decremented until it reaches a terminal valueof zero. Further, for this implementation, operating logic of controller70 maintains a 6.4 second sliding time “aperture” over which the valueof HIT COUNTER is examined. If HIT COUNTER exceeds a programmablethreshold any time within this sliding 6.4 second interval, theoperating logic interprets the condition as a rodent hit, and itprepares an event message for transmission indicating the activecondition. By adjusting the programmable thresholds for DIFF and HITCOUNTER terminal values, this approach adjusts sensitivity of the rodentsensor, reducing false alarms and ensuring that true active conditionsare detected and acted upon.

In addition to sensor signal processing, the 100 millisecond wake-up canalso be used to scan for switch 76 activation and to provide for ablinking pattern of LED 82 and/or 84 as desired.

As previously indicated, this embodiment includes another wake-up modefor less frequently performed tasks. These tasks may include managementof transceiver 52 and processing of inbound and outbound messages overthe wireless communication path to gateway 33. Accordingly, controller70 directs that receiver 56 listen for any possible transmissions fromgateway 33 or other nodes 42 within communications range. Gateway 33,either directly or by routing its message through other nodes 42, mayrequest status information of the subject node 42 by issuing a POLLREQUEST. If a valid POLL REQUEST is received, controller 70 prepares andsends a response packet including information about the operating statusand sensor condition of the subject node 42 via transmitter 54. Suchtasks further include a determination of whether the subject node 42 isbeing asked by a neighboring node 42 to relay a message according toroutes established during installation of network 36. If such a requestis made, controller 70 prepares and transmits the relay message viatransceiver 52. In addition, on this less frequent basis, any eventmessages prepared during the more frequently performed tasks are sentvia transmitter 54, and network maintenance/repair operations may beperformed as further described hereinafter.

The operating logic of node 42 further includes a technique to re-formcommunications paths that become unreliable or unusable. To the extentneeded, such self-healing may be performed on a less frequent basis(every second for example). Self-healing may occur due to the removal orfailure of a relaying node 42 in an established path, or theintroduction of an obstruction. In one implementation, node 42determines the need to self-heal its communication path by maintaining atimer that is reset upon the receipt of a valid POLL REQUEST messagefrom the corresponding gateway 33. The value of this timer is testedagainst a threshold value. If the timer reaches this threshold, thesubject node 42 communication path is deemed to be lost, and are-installation process is performed. This reinstallation is like thatdescribed in connection with procedure 220 of FIG. 4, starting withoperation 224, except that operator activation of switch 76 is notnecessary to perform path re-establishment, and reinstallation may berepeated a given number of times before declaring failure. In oneexample, the subject node 42 retries installation up to 3 more times atan interval equal to the programmable threshold value for the POLLREQUEST timer before declaring a failure.

For scheduled maintenance actions, an operator-activated switch can beused to cause the subject node 42 to prepare and transmit a message togateway 33 indicating that it is being removed from service. Inresponse, the gateway 33 removes the node's unique ID from its databaseof active nodes to halt subsequent polling. It should be appreciatedthat switch 76 could be used to signal removal if activated aftersuccessful addition to network 36 is indicated and/or by repeatedactuation such that repeated actuation within a given time periodtoggles between a network install and node removal, or the like.Alternatively, a additional switch or other activation device may beutilized (not shown). Further, it should be appreciated that in otherembodiments, node 42 may include more or fewer waking task modes with orwithout different frequencies, durations, or the like; may not havedistinct sleep and wake modes, may alternatively or additionally beresponsive to periodic or aperiodic polling inputs and/or interrupt typetriggers to perform at least some tasks, and/or may perform more, fewer,or different tasks as required. Additionally or alternatively, network36 may be at least partly predefined, rather than node-determined, maynot include some or all of operator indicators, may not be self-healing,and/or may not provide for node removal.

In one alternative, certain nodes are transmit-only types that sendsensor signals to other nodes capable of receiving and transmitting.Such other nodes may be dedicated communication routers with differentsensing functionality than the transmit-only nodes (such as less/nosensing capability). For this alternative, these routers form acommunication backbone between the remaining nodes and gateway 33.

Having described the operation of nodes 42 in greater detail, thecomplimentary operations of gateway 33 for each group 30 are next setforth. Gateway 33 serves as a data collector 32 in which status andevent information from communicating nodes 42 is gathered. Gateway 33communicates this information to centrally located data managementserver 120 hosting database 124. Server 120 provides for datavisualization, analysis, reporting, and notification applications asfurther described in connection with FIG. 6. For the depictedembodiment, communications between gateway 33 and nodes 42 of a givengroup 30 take place via a wireless local area network 36, and betweengateway 33 and server 120 via a wireless wide area network (WAN) usingInternet Protocol (IP) over General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).Alternatively, hardwired telephone and/or fiber or coaxial cableconnection could be used to interface gateway 33 to a computer network24 connection with server 120, and/or other protocols and communicationsubsystems may be utilized.

Gateway communications may be of a routine, periodically scheduled type,or of an event/condition-driven type. Additionally, customer oradministrator initiated queries or updates may be delivered to nodes 42.In one implementation, “downlink” communications from server 120 togateway 33 utilize User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and “uplink”communications from gateway 33 to server 120, utilize File TransferProtocol (FTP). Further, this nonlimiting implementation providesoperating logic for gateway 33 as a collection of software tasks writtenin C# under the Microsoft Windows XP multithreading environment providedby Windows XP and the .NET Framework. A description of several exemplarytasks for this implementation are described as follows:

-   -   (a) Start-up: This task initializes communications peripherals        including interface 250 and modem 260 to establish links to        networks 36 and 25, respectively.    -   (b) Pairing Request Listener Task: Gateway 33 continuously        monitors for messages over network 36 that indicate a new node        42 has joined the network 36 or has formed a new communications        path to gateway 33. In one form, an SDP PAIRING REQUEST message        is provided to gateway 33 upon successful completion of a new        node 42 invocating a SEARCH REQUEST, which may occur when an        installer activates the install mode with switch 76, or after a        node 42 successfully self-heals a connection path to gateway 33.        The SDP PAIRING REQUEST message contains information about the        Node's identity, function (the node sensor type), and        communications path, including QoS metrics. Gateway 33 checks        the node identification (ID) against a locally stored list of        currently installed nodes 42. If the node ID is new, the        information, including communications path, is stored by gateway        33, and the newly added node 42 is added to the polling list of        Nodes that should be polled during the Polling Task described        hereinafter. If the Node ID is already in the database, only the        updated path information is stored.    -   (c) Event Listener Task: Gateway 33 listens for unsolicited        event messages from nodes 42 of its group 30, which are        generated to indicate conditions, such as: Sensor Active, Low        Battery, Sensor Fault, etc. Upon receipt of such an event        message, gateway 33 attaches a local time stamp and forwards the        event to server 120 over the GRPS connection using FTP.    -   (d) Polling Task: Gateway 33 implements a task to periodically        poll each node 42 of its group 30 in a “round robin” fashion.        Upon expiration of a configurable POLL TIMER, gateway 33        generates a POLL REQUEST for the next node 42 in succession from        a listing of the installed nodes 42 and awaits a response. The        resulting response message from the polled node 42 includes        information such as sensor status, battery status, temperature,        and condition, which is stored to a local database file and        periodically sent to server 120 using FTP.    -   (e) Downlink Listener Task: Gateway 33 implements a task that        continuously listens for “downlink” commands from server 120,        which are received as User Datagram Protocol packets, and are        used for remote configuration and diagnostics.    -   (f) Time Synchronization Task—To maintain time accurate timing n        between Server 120 and gateway 33, a Network Time Protocol is        used to provide synchronization.

Referring to FIG. 6, the back-end data management server 120 is furtherdepicted in diagrammatic form. Server 120 provides variousvirtual/logical components to allow sensor and node information fromgeographically disbursed gateways 33 to be aggregated into database 124.Server 120 has the ability to communicate with all remote pest controldevice groups 30, evaluate resulting data, and take correspondingactions using an Application Service Provider (ASP) model. Among otherthings, server 120 collects the information from the various sites(groups 30), aggregates and processes this information and determineswhat information needs to be forwarded to a customer. In addition,server 120 facilitates a data archive, notification and reportingprocess. Selected server functional components, as defined by softwareor other operating logic executed by server 120, are listed as follows:

-   -   (a) Firewall 127 provides customary data filtering, encryption,        and authentication for communications over computer network 24.    -   (b) Conduits 123 define various application and transport        communication protocols from gateways 33 or other information        sources, such as UDP/IP (User Datagram Protocol), TCP/IP        (Transmission Control Protocol), SMTP/POP3 (Email Based), or Web        Service.    -   (c) Database 124 among other things, stores the sensor data        collected in the field by groups 30. Additional stored data        types are gateway 33, node 42, site, and user configuration and        other external data feeds. This data provides business        intelligence back to the user so sensor data can be interpreted        as it relates to other environmental information i.e. air        quality, temperature, rain amounts, etc. Applications 130        include a notifications and alarm service module 130 e that can        dispatch alerts to clients 122 (see FIG. 1) from database 124        based on subscriptions to the data and conditions set within the        database 124. These subscriptions are managed by subscription        manager module 130 f. In one form, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is        the database engine for server 124. Reporting service module        125, analysis service module 126 (including data mining),        various integration service modules are defined by this system.        Server 120 defines a business logic layer Application        Programming Interface (API) 130 a including a notification queue        managed by subscription manager module 130 f and a remote device        queue. Alarm and acknowledge ASP net pages 130 b; ASP Net        Application pages 130 c; profiler, system builder, and network        heartbeat watchdog modules 130 d are also associated with this        API.    -   (d) Web servers deliver applications 130 that allow users to        interact with the data over the Word Wide Web using clients 122.        In one form, the presentation layer application allowing        graphical presentation of the data is written in ASP.NET.

Once an on-site technician installs all the nodes 42 for a given gateway33, the site installation and configuration data is received by server120 from the gateway 33. The data is then parsed at server 120 andstored in database 124. If a change to the configuration is necessary,the stored configuration data is modified and sent to the gateway 33.Gateway 33 will then retrieve this data and compare the modifications toimplement any changes. Server 120 regularly receives event and sensordata from the gateway 33 of each group 30 and stores the values in thedatabase. As new events take place at sensors 46, the corresponding datais sent to server 120 that performs notification services via module 120f to those recipients that have subscribed to the information. On aperiodic basis (such as once a week), reports on trap activity andbattery levels are also dispatched to recipients utilizing reportingservices module 125.

Once sensor and node information is uploaded to server 120, it isavailable to the customer. Several methods are available for thecustomer to retrieve this information, depending on specified criteria,subscription level, and the nature of subsequent management action.Clients 122 (see FIG. 1) embody several customer interface options.

In one form, a password-protected web portal is provided to customerswhere they may log in to observe their corresponding sites/groups 30,generate reports with reporting services module 125, and observe thecurrent status or summaries of recent events through a “dashboard” typeof view. For those sensors 46 which by either its nature (say a moisturesensor) or customer interest (say a rodent station in food processingfacility) require that event notification be nearly instantaneous,customers may choose to have notifications sent via e-mail, textmessage, fax or phone message (via clients 122 c and/or 122 d, forexample). This alarm process can be managed interactively by respondingto a server generated email or SMS communication, or by logging into thesecure web portal. In contrast to such event-driven communications, forsensors where the information is more routine (say exteriorrodent/termite bait stations), customers may choose to have summaryreports delivered through spreadsheet reports or physical mailings on ascheduled basis. In one form, customer reports of site activity arecustomized to include customer-requested information on a requestedschedule. Parameters governing how system 20 reacts to collected sensorinformation can be selected and set by the customers through a webinterface. Such parameters include the time frame for notifications of agiven sensor type, the delivery mechanism of any alerts, the schedulingof site status reports, etc. These may be updated and changed at anytime by the customer. If an application is such that any action may betaken without direct human presence/intervention, such as flipping aswitch, the system is capable of initiating such action as specified bycustomer need. For business systems that rely on the site data forbilling and/or supervisory information, the data can be presented in atransport that allows integration into a customer business system.

Many further embodiments of the present application are envisioned. Forexample, one further embodiment includes: operating a pest controlsystem including a plurality of pest control devices and a datacollector, the pest control devices each including a respective pestattractant, a respective sensor, and a respective wireless communicationcircuit; wirelessly transmitting sensor information from the respectivesensor of a first one of the pest control devices to a second one of thepest control devices; and wirelessly relaying the sensor informationfrom the second one of the pest control devices to the data collector.

A further embodiment includes: a pest control system with a plurality ofpest control devices and a data collector. The pest control devices eachinclude a respective sensor and a respective wireless communicationcircuit. The system further includes means for wirelessly transmittingsensor information from the respective sensor of the first one of thepest control devices to a second one of the pest control devices, andmeans for wirelessly providing the sensor information from the secondone of the pest control devices to the data collector.

Another embodiment comprises: providing a pest control system includinga data collector and several pest control devices that each include arespective sensor and a respective wireless communication circuit;activating a network installation mode of operation of a selected one ofthe pest control devices; attempting to establish a wirelesscommunication link with a pest control system communication networkduring the network installation mode, providing a first type of outputto an operator if the wireless communication link is established; andproviding a second type of output to the operator if the wirelesscommunication link is not established.

Still another embodiment includes: a pest control system with a datacollector and several pest control devices that each include arespective sensor and a respective wireless communication circuit. Alsoincluded are means for applying the magnetic field proximate to aselected one of the pest control devices, means for attempting toestablish a wireless communication link with a pest control systemcommunication network in response to the magnetic field, means forproviding a first type of output to an operator if the wirelesscommunication link is established, and means for providing a second typeof output to the operator if the wireless communication link is notestablished.

Yet a further embodiment is directed to a pest control device thatincludes a pest sensor operable to provide one or more signalsrepresentative of pest detection and circuitry with a wirelesscommunication transceiver coupled to the pest sensor to transmitinformation corresponding to the pest detection. This circuitry furtherincludes a component responsive to a magnetic field proximate to thepest control device to operate the transceiver in an installation modeand a controller to execute operating logic to establish a wirelesscommunication link with one or more devices during the installationmode. Also included is an indicator coupled to the circuitry to providea first operator output indicative of establishment of the wirelesscommunication link if the attempt succeeds and the second operatoroutput indicative of failure to establish the wireless communicationlink.

A further embodiment includes: the first pest control device groupincluding a plurality of wireless communication nodes that are eachprovided with a corresponding pest sensor and a first gateway to receivesensor data from the corresponding sensor of each of the wirelesscommunication nodes. One or more of the wireless communication nodesincludes the respective controller operating logic to define wirelesscommunication network between the wireless communication nodes. Thewireless communication network includes a first subset of the node torelay sensor information to the first gateway from a second subset ofthe node.

Any theory, mechanism of operation, proof, or finding stated herein ismeant to further enhance understanding of the present application and isnot intended to make the present application in any way dependent uponsuch theory, mechanism of operation, proof, or finding. It should beunderstood that any use of the word preferable, preferably or preferredin the description above indicates that the feature so described may bemore desirable, it nonetheless may not be necessary and embodimentslacking the same may be contemplated as within the scope of theinvention, that scope being defined by the claims that follow. Inreading the claims it is intended that when words such as “a,” “an,” “atleast one,” “at least a portion” are used there is no intention to limitthe claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary inthe claim. Further, when the language “at least a portion” and/or “aportion” is used the item may include a portion and/or the entire itemunless specifically stated to the contrary. While the invention has beenillustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoingdescription, the same is to be considered as illustrative and notrestrictive in character, it being understood that only the selectedembodiments have been shown and described and that all changes,modifications and equivalents that come within the spirit of theinvention as defined herein or by any of the following claims aredesired to be protected.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: operating a pest controlsystem including a plurality of pest control devices and a datacollector, the pest control devices each including a respective pestsensor and a respective wireless communication circuit; wirelesslytransmitting sensor information from the respective sensor of a firstone of the pest control devices to a second one of the pest controldevices; and wirelessly providing the sensor information from the secondone of the pest control devices to the data collector; wherein the pestcontrol system is established by placing the first one of the pestcontrol devices in a first position and providing at the first one ofthe pest control devices a first output indicating communication betweenthe first one of the pest control devices and the data collector, andpositioning the second one of the pest control devices in a secondposition and providing at the second one of the pest control devices asecond output indicating direct or indirect communication between thesecond one of the pest control devices and the data collector.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first output is a luminous visual outputand the second output is a luminous visual output.
 3. The method ofclaim 2, which includes applying a magnetic field proximate to aselected one of the pest control devices to initiate the activation ofan installation operation mode, and wherein the selected one of the pestcontrol devices includes a magnetic switch responsive to the magneticfield and further comprising: providing a second visual indicator outputdifferent than the first visual indicator output if the selected one ofthe pest control devices fails to establish the wireless communicationlink after a predefined period of time; in response to the second visualindicator output, installing one or more other of the pest controldevices; and after the installing of the one or more other of the pestcontrol devices, attempting again to establish the wirelesscommunication link for the selected one of the pest control devices. 4.The method of claim 2, wherein if the selected one of the pest controldevices fails to establish a wireless communication link and furthercomprising: changing position of the selected one of the pest controldevices; and establishing the wireless communication link with theselected one of the pest control devices after the changing of theposition thereof.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of thepest control devices includes a respective bait for one or more speciesof pest.
 6. The method of claim 5, which includes attracting at leastone of termites and bedbugs with the bait.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein at least some of the pest control devices include at least oneof: (a) an active transponder and (b) two or more sensor types.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, which includes: providing the data collector as aform of gateway; interfacing the gateway to a computer network; andproviding a user access to data gathered with pest control devicesthrough the computer network.
 9. The method of claim 8, which includes:providing a number of different gateways, the gateways eachcorresponding to a respective one of several different pest controldevice groups; monitoring each of several different locations with therespective one of the different pest control device groups, thedifferent locations being remote from one another; from each of thedifferent gateways, communicating information through the computernetwork to a data management server; and establishing the user accesswith the data management server.
 10. The method of claim 1, whichincludes: providing one or more of the pest control devices with arespective bait for a rodent; and detecting rodent activity with therespective pest sensor of at least one of the one or more of the pestcontrol devices.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more ofthe pest control devices includes a respective rodent trap and therespective pest sensor of each of the one or more of the pest controldevices signals activation of the respective rodent trap.
 12. The methodof claim 1, wherein the respective wireless communication circuit of thefirst one of the pest control devices is out of communication range withthe data collector, and the relaying of the sensor information from thesecond one of the pest control devices includes sending the sensorinformation through at least a third one of the pest control devicesbefore the sensor information reaches the data collector.
 13. The methodof claim 1, wherein a first group of the pest control devices eachcommunicate data to the data collector through one or more of a secondgroup of pest control devices.